While the Denver metro area is already home to the likes of Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain, retail analysts said the entry of Cabela's will help expand the market because the sports and fishing outfitter has a cult-like following and offers proprietary products.

They also point to the unusual move by Sidney, Neb.-based Cabela's to open not one but two stores in the same metro area.

"Before they would drop two stores in here, they would've looked at their catalog demographics, seeing where people are already purchasing from," said retail consultant Jon Schallert. "That's going to be a barometer for them."

Cabela's, which already operates a store in Grand Junction, will begin construction on locations in Thornton and Lone Tree this fall, with openings slated for 2013. Each store will have about 150 employees, said Cabela's spokesman Wes Remmer.

The 110,000-square-foot Lone Tree store will be in Douglas County in the new RidgeGate Commons development along Interstate 25 at RidgeGate Parkway. The 90,000-square-foot Thornton store will be in a new retail development along I-25 at 144th Avenue.

"Because of the longstanding loyalty of our customers in the Centennial State, the abundance of outdoor opportunities across the region and Denver's proximity to Cabela's headquarters, it's the perfect situation to open two stores," said Cabela's chief executive Tommy Millner. "This is the first time we've simultaneously announced two stores in the same metropolitan area, so that says a lot about how we feel about the Denver area."

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Both stores will offer a museum-like experience, with shoppers surrounded by trophy animal mounts and wildlife displays.

Local outdoor enthusiasts cheered the plans, echoing analyst sentiments that Cabela's provides an experience not found elsewhere.

"It really is about the experience. Each store is different, but most have huge aquariums with fish, waterfalls and hundreds of animals," said Pueblo resident Molly Milusnic, who has shopped at Cabela's stores in Michigan and Texas. "The store has its own restaurant with wild-game menu. Some stores have stocked ponds to try out fishing equipment."

The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at Northfield Stapleton, which opened in 2005, offers similar attractions, including a waterfall and massive aquarium.

Wildlife-associated recreational spending in Colorado totaled $3 billion in 2006, including $1.7 billion in equipment purchases, according to a study by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

"Anything that gets people interested and puts products in people's hands to get them outdoors, we're definitely encouraged by," said Randy Hampton, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Schallert, president of the Schallert Group, said the planned 110,000-square-foot store in Lone Tree, about double the size of the Cabela's store at its headquarters in Sidney, shows that the retailer believes it can draw business from neighboring states such as New Mexico.

"That's like a small neighborhood strip center with a grocery store and a Walgreens — a pretty formidable size," Schallert said.

He said the purchasing power of Cabela's allows it to ask manufacturers to alter products so that they're unique to the retailer. One example is a tent that features a hole in the middle for a stovepipe, a product used by hunters and Denver Broncos tailgaters during the winter.

Gander Mountain, which operates a 91,000-square-foot store in Aurora, said it "always welcomes healthy competition."

"We feel that when shoppers compare the goods and prices available across our network of 114 stores in 23 states and on our website, they'll continue to find us favorable," said Gander spokesman Jess Myers.

Cabela's operates 36 retail stores across the United States and Canada.

The city of Thornton said Cabela's will be part of a new 63-acre retail project that's being developed by Thornton Development LLC, an affiliate of THF Development.

"It's an incredible opportunity to bring this icon retail concept to the market," said Karen Blumenstein, project manager for THF.

Cabela's decided last summer to shelve a plan to build a 130,000- square-foot store on the Clear Creek Crossing Development site in Wheat Ridge.

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